Of Gold, Roses, and Chipped Tea Cups
by PeersHitInMoscow
Summary: Sheriff Swan has been a symbol for change in Storybrooke since her arrival. Can she again go beyond Regina's rules and bring together two people who never would have had a chance without the curse of Storybrooke? Rumpelstiltskin / Belle


Hey guys! So, after watching and re-watching Skin Deep I have to admit to myself that I'm obsessed with Rumple / Belle and I'm all flustered that Mr. Gold's plot line is going to be put on hold for next week. ;_; I feel like the way Beauty and the Beast was done with Rumple was amazing because of his character depth and he turns down love out of fear and power. And gahh - So I might continue this story to quench my Rumple / Belle lovin', because darnnit, I want to see them together!

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><p>He caressed the chipped porcelain cup in his hands, tracing around the cool rim of the cup, stopping when he reached the chip, and after a pause, repeated the circle in the opposite direction. This chipped tea cup was all that he had left that mattered. He hated Regina for pulling a stunt like that, well, hated her more. He may have had to give up his true name, but there was nothing that Regina could do with it, not without the sword. Letting that worry fade into the back of his mind Mr. Gold preferred to focus his attention back onto the cool porcelain in his hands and soon got lost in the feeling of the smooth, cool material that he considered flawless, the cup would have looked and felt wrong without a chip. A slow sigh escaped his lungs followed by a quick inhale to regain composure as he heard the lock clicking open for a certain Sheriff.<p>

She shook off her coat and threw it onto the hook before huffing, plopping into her leather chair and swinging her feet to rest on her desk. "Well, I just got back from the hospital. You're lucky. Mr. French isn't pressing any charges."

Mr. Gold let out a quiet chuckle because he knew that he wouldn't be held for long. Sheriff Swan had little to hold him on other than an assault charge, which he knew that Mr. French would indefinitely drop in favor of his loan to be forvigen.

But he could never truly forgive that man for what he did. It may have been another world; and in Storybrooke, he may have had no memory of what he did; but ignorance didn't equal innocence. That man had drove his only daughter, sweet, naive, beautiful Belle to - to - he couldn't bring himself to say that word, that permanent word that even magic couldn't fix. He couldn't be reminded of what his foolishness drove Belle to do, and it hurt more to know that even he, the great Rumplestiltskin, couldn't repair what had been done.

Out of the confines of his mind, he stepped out from the cell as Emma Swan slid open the door to allow him out. Her face showed a mixture of resentment and defeat at being powerless against him.

_Yes, _he reminded himself _this is what I have. Power. If I was powerless no one would be able to combat Regina's control over Storybrooke. You should be thanking me, Miss Swan._

And with that he smiled at her and bowed his head "Be seeing you later, Miss Swan." His smile showed no real emotion, it was an instinct that made people feel uncomfortable and powerless. He liked that. _Powerless_. The word simmered in his head and traveled down his body, into his hand and dissipated into cool porcelain that he was clutching. The cup, her cup, he mused, absentmindedly stroking the cup with his thumb. Then, realizing what he was doing that he had an audience, quickly composed himself to gently but quickly slip the cup into his coat pocket.

Emma Swan didn't miss the hiccup in Mr. Gold's composure. She childishly and mischevously placed her foot in the path of Mr. Gold's cane.

"That lady must have been pretty special, Mr. Gold." she sincerely smiled up at him, slightly leaning forward in intrigue.

The childish gesture mixed with sharp wit caught Mr. Gold off guard, and he stared at her for a moment, mouth agape. He quickly closed it as hurt flashed across his eyes. Emma's smile dropped in response as Mr. Gold struggled for words.

"Yes...she was very...special," he muttered, eyes downcast yet also somewhere far away. Something about seeing Mr. Gold like this, looking unconfident and weak, made her uncomfortable. She decided not to further push the subject with him, but her curiousity definitely put this mystery on her list of side projects.

Mr. Gold left the police station, slowly regaining his confidence as he slowly strides across the room. As he leaves he doesn't look back at Sheriff Swan. He refused to see her reaction to his weakness. He hated his weakness, but reasoned that if there was anyone in this town that he could hold a semblance of trust with, it was Miss Swan. At the very least, she made things interesting for him and difficult for Regina, and hardship in Regina's life was always encouraged.

Emma's eyes carefully watched Mr. Gold as he left. She looked back on what she did know about the situation. Regina must have returned the cup to Mr. Gold after stealing it, yet this type of manipulation was normal for her. Emma focused on other evidence that wouldn't lead her in a direction that was stopped every step by a Mayor flaunting her power. She thought back to the night before, when she had arrested Mr. Gold. As she approached the house she remembered hearing yells that sounded like they came from a breathless, ragged, and desperate Mr. Gold, pausing between solid thunks from, no doubt, his cane. He was saying something about how could Mr. French "do that to his own daughter."

And with this, Emma took her jacket and headed for the hospital to question a certain florist for the second time today.

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><p>This was kind of thrown together at 1am, so it may have some errors and I didn't really edit it so... Rate and Review, please! :D<p> 


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